Billionaire philanthropists Julia and Hans Rausing donate £50,000 to Telegraph Christmas appeal
Julia and Hans Rausing, the billionaire philanthropists, have donated £25,000 to the RAF Benevolent Fund and to Go Beyond, in support of The Telegraph’s Christmas Charity Appeal.
Mr and Mrs Rausing were inspired to make the two £25,000 donations after reading about how the organisations support serving personnel, veterans and their families and offer vulnerable children a break in the British countryside.
Mr Rausing, 60, whose grandfather founded the packaging company Tetra Pak, has written to both charities to explain why he and his wife were moved to donate. The couple spoke of how the “mobility aids, counselling and financial support” that the RAF Benevolent Fund offers to serving personnel and veterans seemed “more important than ever during these challenging economic times”.
And in a letter to Go Beyond, the couple wrote: “We were impressed by the work of your charity, providing a break to children who desperately need it, whether because they care for their ill parents, or live in families with limited resources and worry about where their next meal will come.
“Helping these young people to explore the great outdoors, bringing a little magic into their lives, is a worthy endeavour.”
This winter, Mr and Mrs Rausing have donated £5.25 million in a Christmas giving campaign focused on alleviating financial hardship, homelessness and loneliness.
The couple are now among the largest philanthropists in the UK, donating around £50 million each year.
Their two donations come as The Telegraph’s Christmas Appeal total stands at £255,000, with more than £96,000 raised through Sunday’s charity phone-in.
Sir Jackie Stewart, Anneka Rice and Richard Madeley were among the celebrities manning the phone lines – along with Telegraph writers Allison Pearson and Camilla Tominey.
Tens of thousands of pounds have been donated online, alongside the money raised by more than 1,000 callers on Sunday.
Alongside Go Beyond and the RAF Benevolent Fund, the appeal is also fundraising for Marie Curie, Britain’s leading end-of-life charity and Race Against Dementia, set up by Sir Jackie after his wife, Helen, was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia.
Readers can continue to donate by phone or online.
To make a donation, please visit The Telegraph Charity Appeal 2023 or call 0151 284 1927.